


A Fire Lord's Proposal

by Lone_Star_Ranger



Series: Fire Lord's Night Out [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Mostly Fluff, Sequel, Sokka and Suki are still together, T for some earth swearing and mentions of assassins, Ursa is mentioned, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko making amends, jinko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27002011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lone_Star_Ranger/pseuds/Lone_Star_Ranger
Summary: Set a year or so after "A Fire Lord's Night Out,"  Jin arrives in the Fire Nation to catch up with Zuko.  Zuko deals with pre-proposal nerves, a ceremony to apologize for the Air Nomad genocide, and finally his proposal.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Jin/Zuko (Avatar), Noren/Ursa (Avatar)
Series: Fire Lord's Night Out [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970704
Comments: 23
Kudos: 28





	1. Arrival

Jin gulped as she contemplated the palace. Katara threaded her arm through Jin’s. “Come on, Jin, you’ll be fine.”

“It’s huge.” Jin stuttered out as her eyes swept from wing to wing, trying to soak in every detail.

“It is a palace after all and if I’m not mistaken,” Katara leaned in and whispered “it’s going to your home soon enough.”

Jin shook her head in disbelief as Toph interrupted, “Lay off, Sugar Queen. You’re scaring the future fire queen.”

“Um, he still hasn’t actually proposed yet…”

Katara patted Jin’s hand. “Yet being the key word there.” 

“Yeah, Sparky is probably trying to do something ‘romantic’,” Toph snickered, “He’s such a drama queen.” 

“Yes, he is!” Katara deepened her voice “You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun.”

Jin and Katara giggled while Toph’s hearty laugh echoed through the palace as they walked into the palace together. 


	2. An Avalanche is quieter

After the painfully formal presentation in the throne room, Jin was escorted back to a private audience chamber where Zuko sat with Suki and Ty Lee flanking him. As soon as the servant closed the door, Zuko leapt off and embraced Jin, spinning her off the floor with the force of his hug. Ty Lee squealed over how cute they were before Suki’s fan lashed out and gently rapped Ty Lee’s head as a reminder that they were supposed to be professional about this.

Zuko and Jin collapsed together into a couch. Zuko sighed. “It’s good to see you again. I’m sorry about the formalities in the throne room.”

Jin burrowed deeper into Zuko’s shoulder. “Mm… it’s ok. You’re the Firelord after all.”

“Don’t remind me. The negotia…” Zuko clapped his hand over his mouth. 

Jin rolled upright and took Zuko’s hand. “The negotiations with the Earth Kingdom for my hand?” She smirked at Zuko’s face. “I’m not naïve, my parents have told me a little bit of the trouble. Do you want to talk about it?”

Zuko growled. “Both sides are refusing to budge! The Fire Sages are refusing to bless the union between the ‘Firelord’ and a ‘peasant refugee’ while the Earth Kingdom refuses to ennoble your family and thinks that marrying so far below ‘my station’ is the perfect humiliation to heap on the Fire Nation. Obviously, I’d be willing to grant your family nobility titles here, but the Fire Sages see that as a disrespectful gesture.” 

Jin smiled sadly. “So what happens next? For us?”

Zuko shrugged. “We’ll see. I’m the Fire Lord and my word is law, but I’d rather people accept you for you as I have rather than a royal decree.”

Jin frowned. “You’d upset the fragile peace here for me? Zuko…”

Zuko flopped back on the couch and snorted, “What’s a few more assassination attempts? We’ve already had twenty-three assassins this year?”

Suki half-stepped forward, “Thirty-two actually.”

“Really?”

“Five were stopped outside the palace. Four more just inside the walls. The other twenty-three utilized a various combinations of secret passages to appear somewhere within the palace. Toph has already begun mapping out the underground secret passages and we’ve blocked off the ones you and Lady Ursa have informed us about. It’s actually been really quiet for the last two months.”

“Thank you, Suki. See, Jin, marrying you isn’t going to upset the peace more than I already have…” Zuko trailed off as Jin stopped twitching and drew in a deep breath.

“YOU ROCKHEAD!! YOU…YOU… WACKESTONE! YOU SENT ME LETTER AFTER LETTER ABOUT HOW EVERYTHING IS FINE IN THE FIRE NATION AND YOU’RE DOING WELL… TALC! WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME PEOPLE ARE STILL TRYING TO KILL YOU!”

“Um… I’ve kinda used to it?”

“OH, YOU’VE GOTTEN USED TO IT, HAVE YOU! WELL, I HAVE SOME NEWS FOR YOU, YOU DOLINE PIECE OF SCHIST!!”

Suki flicked her fan out to conceal her smile as Jin continued to hammer Zuko for not telling her about the assassination attempts. She could see Zuko’s point for not wanting to concern Jin about something out of her control, but on the other hand… it was nice to hear proper Earth kingdom swearing again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wackestone and Talc are soft stones, doline is a geological term for a sinkhole, and schist is a metamorphic rock. Each nation has at least a few swear words based on their respective elements. All geological research was done with a quick google search so there is no way any of it is wrong. ;)


	3. Pre-proposal nerves

After being thoroughly chewed out by Jin, Zuko spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon with her, relaxing and telling stories of the past year that they had lived apart. Zuko headed back to his room and ran into Noren in the halls near the royal chambers. 

“Walk with me?”

“How can I refuse my Firelord?” Noren’s laugh took any sting out of his words.

The two men walked next to each other in silence for a few minutes before Zuko roared and thrust both arms toward the wall. Fire swirled and blasted into a wall of volcanic rock before dissipating as Noren lifted a single eyebrow. “Stressed?”

Zuko slowly turned and glowered at Noren.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Zuko walked forward another five… ten… twenty paces before spinning and facing Noren.

“How did you know?”

Noren cocked his head and Zuko clarified. “You and Mom. How did you know you were going to marry her.”

“For a while, I didn’t.” Noren hedged as he gathered his thoughts. “but… it’s not something I’ve ever thought about putting into words. I knew I loved your mother and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. We wanted to share everything together…” Noren shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’m not too good at this. I thought I’d have years to get ready before Kiyi would be interested in boys and love. I’m assuming you’re asking because of Jin? You planning on proposing soon?”

“Maybe.”

Noren grinned.

“Wipe that smile off your face. How can I ask Jin to marry me when I’m still a target?”

“She loves you and wants to share your burdens with you, doesn’t she? I know you’ll always do your best to protect her. After all, I seem to remember a carriage ride I took with Ursa and Kiyi where you leapt out to protect us despite having bodyguards there.”

Zuko nodded as Noren continued, “You’ll do your best. That’s all you can do. Besides, she knows what she’s getting into, doesn’t she?” 

“Yes, she does.”

“Then she’s making her decision with full knowledge. After all, the vows are to share your whole life, the good and the bad, sickness and health.” 

Zuko smiled briefly. “Thank you.”

Noren lifted an eyebrow, “You’re welcome. I’m not great with words…”

“True, but I’ve also seen the way you are with Mom.”

The two men stared at each other for a brief moment before Noren thrust his arm forward and grabbed Zuko’s forearm to pull him into a hug. “I’m proud of you.” Noren stepped back and propelled Zuko toward his chambers with a gentle push on the shoulder. “Now go get ready for the festival.”

Zuko nodded as he strode up the hall and his thank you drifted back to where Noren stood silently watching and smiling softly. “Think nothing of it, my boy.”


	4. Fire needs air to live

Zuko stepped to the podium as the setting sun painted the sky with brilliant colors.

“Sons and Daughters of Fire! Long ago, our nation imbalanced the world by removing one of our fellow nations in a horrific act of genocide. Today we honor those dead by the hands of ancestors and beg forgiveness from the last airbender and those gathered as the spiritual successors of the Air Nomads.” Zuko swept his arm out in a grand gesture that encompassed Aang, the Air Acolytes, and the North Temple wind riders. Stepping out from behind the podium, Zuko turned to Aang and knelt into a bow so low his forehead touched the stones that lined the plaza. The assembled Fire Nation citizens followed the Fire Lord’s example, as all lowered themselves to the ground as the sun set, casting the plaza into darkness. 

Aang stepped forward, “Rise with our blessings and forgiveness. For so long, your nation has stoked flames of hatred and division across our world, but now, may your nation light the way into a new and brighter future.” Zuko stood and faced Aang who smiled and held an unlit paper lantern out to Zuko. Lighting it with a quick burst of firebending, Zuko and Aang each took hold of one side of the lantern and released it into the sky. The plaza glowed as the Air Acolytes and wind riders all stepped forward to the Fire Nation citizens who lit their lanterns with their own firebending or tapers lit from a friend’s firebending. The lanterns floated in the breeze, the soft light gleaming against the dark sky.

Aang’s tattoos suddenly started glowing as the young Avatar slowly levitated off the ground, wind and fire whipping in circles around him. “ **Sons and Daughters of Flame. You have faced your nation’s greatest shame head-on and atoned for the crimes of your ancestors. Through the actions of your Fire Lord, your nation now remembers that fire need air to live. For too long, your nation has existed, starving on rage and hate, flames barely allowed to stay flickering because one child of air lived. Now, the imbalance has been recognized and before the sun rises tomorrow, AIR will rise again to be reunited with Fire. Thus, balance shall be RESTORED.”**

Aang collapsed and Zuko lunged forward, catching him before he hit the ground. As the two young men walked back inside the palace, the plaza erupted with voices all trying to make sense of the situation.

“People say I’m the dramatic one.” Zuko broke the ice with a slight smile. “What did you mean by that little speech?”

“I wish I knew.” Aang rubbed his arrow. “It makes no sense! What did I say? What did I mean?” 

“Apparently, we’ll know before sunrise tomorrow.”

“Thanks a lot.”

Katara suddenly sprinted from a side hall.

“Sweetie, are you ok? What was that?”

Zuko smiled at the young couple as Aang babbled his confusion and held his arm for Jin to walk with him as they headed deeper into the palace leaving the Avatar and the young waterbending master together.


	5. Proposal

“Close your eyes, Jin.”

“Okay… what are you planning?”

“You’ll see in a minute.” 

Zuko tugged Jin through a door and the cool night air enveloped them. Jin listened as she could hear water flowing across rock and the soft rustle of Zuko’s clothes, followed by quiet hissing flames shooting through the gentle breeze.

“Ok, you can open your eyes now.”

“Oh, Zuko, how… how..” Tears welled up in Jin’s eyes, blocking her view from the newest addition to the palace gardens: a perfect replica of the firelight fountain from the lower ring of Ba Sing Se.

“I’d thought you’d appreciate having this here in the palace. You saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself and you accepted me for who I am. You knew I was a firebender that night when I lit the fountain for you, but you never turned me in. Over the past year, you’ve never tried to manipulate me or use me because of my position. I’m not perfect, Jin, but I think you’re perfect for me.” Zuko knelt to Jin and pulled out a ring. “Will you marry me?”

Tears were now streaming down Jin’s face and she barely squeaked out her yes to Zuko. Zuko stood, wrapping Jin in his arms as she attempted to stop crying into his chest. When she finally dried, she gasped when she saw the diamonds set into the gold band flickering with an internal flame. 

“How did you do that?”

“Firebending and help from Toph. I wanted to craft a ring uniquely yours and there’s an old firebending trick used to make an eternal flame. Toph helped shape the diamonds around the flame and then I…”

Jin placed one figure on Zuko’s lips, silencing him. “It’s perfect.”

She leaned forward and they drew together in a kiss lit by candle-light and watched only by the soft twinkling stars. . . and a few cloaked figures with blades slowly sliding out of their scabbards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, those shadowy figures? Not the Kyoshi Warriors. Expect the rating in the next installment to jump to M, things are going to get violent and I already know that I'm going to be using the major character death tag. So. Feel free to yell at me in the comments, compliment me, etc, etc, etc. I have an outline, but 2020 is playing merry havoc on my career plus I have to balance writing around my family life. I'll try to get the next installment up soon, I do enjoy writing combat scenes and haven't had much experience/opportunity to try it out. Hope to see you all in the next installment!

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm not going to reveal exactly what I took from FeatherQuilt88's Amber Dragon series unless she comments directly on the work since it is a central element in one of her short stories and I don't want to spoil it. I use the element differently as a backdrop and in a different place entirely, so I don't think my work overlaps enough to use the inspired by tag since I'm taking my story in a different direction. I do try to cite my sources however, so Tales from the Amber Dragon: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1528028 
> 
> Update: FatherQuilt88 has reorganized her two series (Dragon's Brood and Tales from the Amber Dragon) in a single series The Amber Dragon Anthology: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988473


End file.
